April 18, 2022

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Morningside (Iowa), who qualified for the 2021 NAIA Softball National Tournament last season, earned a doubleheader sweep over Dakota State (S.D.) Monday afternoon at Jensen Softball Field.  The Mustangs held off the Trojans 1-0 in a pitcher's duel in the first game and rolled to a 12-3 six-inning victory in the second game.

Dakota State fell to 16-19 overall record.  Morningside, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 national poll and a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, lifted their overall record to 22-12.

DSU prepares for a busy North Star Athletic Association schedule this week with a pair of four-game series.  The Trojans play home-and-away series with the league's leader Bellevue (Neb.) on Wednesday in Omaha, Neb. at Roy Smith Field.  First game is set for 3 p.m.  Both teams head to Thue Field in Madison, S.D. on Thursday for another doubleheader at 3 p.m.

Dakota State plays its final home North Star's 4-game weekend series on Saturday and Sunday versus Dickinson State (N.D.).

Game 1 – (RV) Morningside 1, Dakota State (S.D.) 0 – FINAL

• Morningside's lone run of the game came in the first inning and held off Dakota State in a pitcher's duel.  The Mustangs were held to one hit throughout the game, while the Trojans recorded four hits.
• With bases loaded in the bottom first frame, Breanna Tjebben produced an RBI fielder's choice to score Ellie Cropley to give MC a 1-0 lead with two outs (Morgan Nixon was out at second base).
• DSU's Angela Slattery held Morningside hitless in the final six innings of the game.
• The Trojans left a runner on second base when the game ended, despite a double from the NSAA Softball Player-of-the-Week recipient Michelle Evdos with one out.
• Evdos had a double for Dakota State.  Sarah Torres, Rosie Philop, and Lia Chan each added a hit.  Chan also reached on base by a walk.
• Mykel Ann Gray led Morningside with a single.  Tjebben collected an RBI.  Sydney Petersen, Nixon, Tjebben, and Vanessa Bohuslavsky each recorded a walk.
• The Mustangs left seven runners on base compared to the Trojans two runners left on base.
• Slattery (L, 7-5) tossed a complete game, despite a setback in the pitching circle for DSU.  She yielded one run on one hit.
• Katherine Wurtz (W, 10-8) earned a complete game victory for MC.  She gave up four hits.

Game 2 – (RV) Morningside (Iowa) 12, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL/6 innings

• Dakota State was the home team in the second game of the doubleheader, which was originally scheduled to be played at Thue Field. 
• The Mustangs scored at least a run in the final five innings to secure the victory in six innings.
• Kennedee Jones drilled a double with two outs in the top second inning.  Mackenna Sidzyik followed up with an RBI single to score Jones for 1-0 Mustangs lead.
• Morningside made it 2-0 in the top third frame when Petersen hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Gray, who led off with a walk, advanced to second base after Cropley's sacrifice bunt, and swiped to third base.
• MC followed up with a bases loaded situation as Nixon and Tjebben with back-to-back singles and a walk by Lexie Stolen.  Jones produced a 2-RBI single to score Nixon and Tjebben to balloon Mustangs' lead to 4-0.
• Dakota State snapped their scoring drought with a run scored in the bottom half of the third inning.  Chan led off with a double, followed by Rebecca Hazlett's walk.  Jacquelyn Folkers added a walk to set up a bases loaded situation.
• Chan scored home with one out after the Mustangs committed a wild pitch as DSU trailed 4-1 in the bottom third.
• After Carrington Entringer's fielder choice (Hazlett out at home), Evdos produced an RBI single to score Folkers as the Trojans cut MC's lead to 4-2.
• Petersen highlighted the top fourth inning with a 2-RBI double to increase Morningside's lead to 6-2.
• The Mustangs added two runs in the top fifth inning to make it 8-2.  Sidzyik and Ellie Gengler each collected an RBI.
• Morningside ballooned their lead to 12-2 in the top sixth inning, ignited by back-to-back lead-off doubles by Cropley and Petersen.
• Evdos hit a double in the bottom sixth frame for Dakota State.  Emily McGaugh, pinch runner for Evdos, swiped to third base with two outs.  Madison Aldendifer produced an RBI single to score McGaugh as the Trojans trailed 12-3.
• DSU left a runner on first base when the game ended, securing the win for MC.
• Evdos paced the Trojans' offense attack by going 2-of-3 at the plate with a double and single.  She extended her hitting streak to eight games.  Chan added a double.
• Aldendifer collected a single and an RBI for Dakota State.  She also had a walk.  Hazlett and Folkers each recorded a walk.
• Jones led the Mustangs with two doubles, single and drove in two runs.  Petersen added two doubles and earned four RBIs.  Cropley had two hits.
• Sidzyik registered a hit and two RBIs for Morningside.  Nixon and Tjebben each had a hit.  Cropley had a double and single.
• Morningside outhit Dakota State 10-4 in the game.
• Aldendifer (L, 6-5) recorded the defeat in the pitching circle for the Trojans.  She worked for 4 1/3 innings, while Philop tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief.
• Grace Buffington (W, 12-4) earned the victory after pitching a complete game for the Mustangs.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director